Cream of Mushroom Soup

Many “cream of” soups are literally that—completely puréed until creamy. Some soups I can appreciate that way. (I don’t think I want chunks in my pumpkin soup!) But when it comes to cream of mushroom soup, I want some substance. The mushrooms are the best part if you ask me!

So my cream of mushroom soup recipe isn’t puréed at all, which means you get lots of tender, browned mushrooms in every spoonful, and they’re swimming in a rich, flavorful broth. If it were possible to swoon over a soup, I’d say this one’s definitely swoon-worthy.

Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup

Rich and creamy. This soup is made with a roux and heavy cream which gives it a velvety and luxurious (yes, luxurious!) broth. You’ll feel like you’re eating at a fancy bistro.

Cozy and comforting. If your idea of comfort food is less cake or cookies and more roasted mushroom risotto or creamy chicken marsala, you will appreciate this recipe. It has so much depth and umami and all that creamy broth is perfect for soaking up with crusty bread. Yum!

SO much better than canned. Seriously, once you try this homemade cream of mushroom soup, you’ll never want to go back to the congealed, gloppy condensed canned stuff. Instead of a few tiny squares of mushroom floating in a white sauce, enjoy a variety of hearty sliced mushrooms in a rich, flavorful soup.

Ingredient Notes

• Fresh mushrooms: For the best flavor and more visual appeal, I like to use a mix of mushrooms, like cremini (baby bella), white button, or shiitake. Packages of wild mushrooms work well too. Each variety of mushrooms brings something different to the table in terms of texture and flavor. Since mushrooms are the main attraction, you’ll need 2 pounds of them. It may look like a LOT of mushrooms but they shrink as they cook.
• Unsalted butter: You could sauté the aromatics in oil but since this is a cream soup, butter adds more flavor.
• Onions and garlic: A yellow cooking onion is perfect or use shallots if you want something a little different. The amount of garlic you add is up to you. I use 3 large cloves of garlic; you could easily use less if you prefer.
• All-purpose flour: Flour is used to make a roux which helps thicken the soup without puréeing it. 
• Fresh thyme leaves: While fresh is best, you can substitute dried thyme. Use less because dried herbs are more potent than fresh.
• Seasonings: Along with the usual kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper, a pinch of ground nutmeg enhances the woody flavor of the mushrooms.
• Vegetable broth or chicken broth: Use vegetable broth if you want to make a vegetarian cream of mushroom soup.
• Heavy cream: I highly recommend sticking with heavy cream for the richest, creamiest results. If you use half-and-half, the soup will be thinner. Be sure to let the heavy cream warm up a little while before you add it to the hot soup. Adding ice cold cream to hot liquids may cause the cream to separate (curdle).
• Optional garnishes: Chopped fresh parsley and/or extra cooked mushrooms.

How to Make Cream of Mushroom Soup

Prepare. Take the heavy cream out of the refrigerator so it has a chance to come to room temperature. Clean the mushrooms thoroughly. Chop a portion of the mushrooms (about 8 oz.) and slice the rest. Including both chopped and sliced mushrooms gives you a good mix of textures in the soup.

Cook the aromatics. In a large soup pan or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat, then cook the chopped onion until it’s softened. Stir in the garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant.

Add the mushrooms. Add both the chopped and sliced mushrooms to the pan. It will look like a lot but remember they shrink down. Cook the mushrooms for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they release their liquid and the liquid is mostly evaporated.

Tip: By stirring occasionally (not constantly), you give the mushrooms a chance to brown lightly. This little trick adds so much flavor to sautéed mushrooms.

Make the roux. Sprinkle in the flour, followed by the thyme, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. This is important; it cooks out the raw flavor of the flour. It will look a little clumpy and sticky but that’s okay.

Simmer. Slowly stir in the broth. Increase the heat to high and once the soup comes to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Finish. Reduce the heat to low and slowly stir in the heavy cream. After 2 to 3 minutes, remove the soup from the heat, and season to taste. Ladle the cream of mushroom soup into bowls and garnish as desired. Enjoy immediately.

Easy Recipe Swaps

• Make it dairy-free. Swap out the butter and heavy cream for plant-based versions. Using olive oil for the butter and coconut milk for the cream will also work. It won’t have the same luxurious flavor and texture, though!
• Swap out the thyme. Sage and rosemary are also woody herbs which pair well with mushrooms. They’ll add a different flavor, of course.
• Add subtle heat. A very small pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes will add a little something to the soup. You don’t want to make it spicy but a very subtle tingle in cream of mushroom soup can be a nice surprise. (Another way to accomplish this is to add lots of freshly ground black pepper.)
• More flavor enhancements. Garnishing the soup with caramelized onions can add a special touch. Using roasted garlic instead of garlic cloves gives the soup a more mellow garlic flavor. Try garnishing with a drizzle of balsamic reduction or add a splash of balsamic vinegar or Marsala wine to the pan when you’re cooking the mushrooms.

Serving Suggestions

Bread: If you’re serving the mushroom soup as a main course, you’ll definitely want to serve bread, crackers, or a sandwich to go with it. Serve your cream of mushroom soup with Texas toast garlic bread or no knead whole wheat bread to soak up that glorious broth. It would pair well with a simple veggie wrap or turkey wrap, too.

Salad: Pair this creamy soup with a simple salad, like bagged greens tossed with a red wine vinaigrette. My house salad would be excellent too. Tangy vinaigrettes are a nice contrast to the rich soup. Mandarin orange salad is nice, too.

As a first course: If you are serving a more formal dinner, cream of mushroom soup can be a lovely first course. Serve it with pork tenderloin with port wine sauce, spice rubbed pork tenderloin, or with Thanksgiving dinner.

Refrigerate: Store any leftover cream of mushroom soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Because this soup is made with heavy cream, I don’t recommend freezing it; it can separate and become grainy after thawing.

Reheat: Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring frequently and being careful not to let it come to a boil. You may need to add a splash of broth or cream to thin out the soup if it thickens in the fridge. Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave.

• Take heavy cream out of the refrigerator to let it warm up to room temperature while you’re prepping the rest of the soup.

  1 cup heavy cream

• Clean mushrooms. Roughly chop 8 ounces (about a quarter of the mushrooms, it doesn’t have to be exact). Slice the remaining mushrooms into ¼-inch slices (see note).

  2 pounds fresh mushrooms

• In a large pot, heat the butter over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for about 3 to 4 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 1 minute until fragrant.

  4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 cup finely diced onion, 3 cloves garlic, minced

• Add all the mushrooms to the pot and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms release their liquid and are mostly cooked.

• Stir in the flour, thyme, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.

  3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

• Slowly pour in the broth while stirring continuously to prevent lumps. Increase heat to high to bring the mixture to a simmer and then reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, allowing the flavors to develop and the soup to thicken slightly.

  2 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth

• Reduce heat to low, stir in the heavy cream and gently heat the soup for 2 to 3 minutes. Don’t boil the soup.

• Taste and season with additional salt and black pepper as needed.

• Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with chopped parsley, extra sliced mushrooms, or a drizzle of cream if desired.

• Buying mushrooms: Cream of mushroom soup can be made with any type of mushroom, either cultivated or wild. I find that a mixture of mushrooms gives the best flavor but if you prefer, the soup can be made with all button mushrooms. If you use dried mushrooms, soak them first.
• Prepping the mushrooms: We found that a mix of roughly chopped and sliced mushrooms adds to the soup’s texture. If you buy your mushrooms already sliced, roughly chop about 8 ounces of the sliced mushrooms to achieve this.
• Storage & reheating: Promptly refrigerate leftover soup in a covered container. It will keep for up to 3 days. It does not freeze well. To reheat, heat it in a saucepan over low heat until steaming. Try not to boil the soup. Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave.

Serving: 1cup, Calories: 200kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 49mg, Sodium: 541mg, Potassium: 431mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 750IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 34mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!